Nvidia has announced the first Tegra 4i phone from Wiko and it also hinted that the Tegra 4i is in LG’s G2 mini phone. The last thing that it showed off at MWC was the Tegra Note 7 with LTE.

The back cover of the device changed and it got slightly heavier, but overall apart of the changed back cover, it’s hard to tell the LTE version apart from the plain Tegra Note 7. The back cover was probably redesigned in order to fit the LTE antenna that were happily working and streaming live TV at the crowded Barcelona based MWC 2014 show.

For people who didn’t see it, Tegra K1 was running in two demos, one with dual stream 4K resolution from a passively cooled chip and the second was a tablet that very much looks like Tegra Note 7. It ran an impressive face demo.

Nvidia is saving more of its secrets for its GPU developers conference that is taking a place in San Jose on the 24th of March and we expect to see more demos including Denver 64-bit Tegra and who knows what more.

The update should improve performance and stability and we have to admit that it’s really nice to work on this speedy 7-incher. It works really nice, although people just don’t like the fact it not a 1080p device. However the tiny screen is quite nice even in 1280x800. Kit Kat 4.4.2 is currently the latest version of Android, and only a handful of devices have an official release, Tegra Note 7 included. In addition the OTA 2 update includes a tweaked gamepad mapper feature and other optimizations and fixes.

Nvidia did a good job adding the latest Android to its devices, and this has been one of the main complains about most Android tablets and phones out there. It just takes way too long to get the latest version of Android such as Android 4.4.2 to these devices, but the process is somewhat smoother when it comes to tablets, as vendors don’t have to worry about carriers.

The latest android 4.4.2 Kit Kat is out since December 9th so it did take Nvidia quite a while to get it ready, but compared it some other manufactures it is still pretty good. The latest Android version for non-Nexus or Google Play tablets in this price range is usually 4.2 or lower.

Today is a big day for Nvidia and the rest of the mobile phone and tablet industry as Mobile World congress kicks off in Barcelona and we expect to see some new cool things, especially phones based on the mid-range Tegra 4i LTE capable chip and at least some demo Tegra K1 devices, if not the retail ones.

Nvidia has informed early adopters of its first tablet, the Tegra Note 7, that there is an update that brings Android 4.3 and camera upgrades. For some users it should be available right now, but in our case we will have to wait a bit longer. Nvidia has shared that the updated comes globally to all partner devices including EVGA, ADVENT, Gigabyte, Shenzhen Homecare Technology, ZOTAC and XOLO.

The Android operating system is getting updated from 4.2.2 to 4.3 and Nvidia is working on a 4.4 version as we speak. Nvidia specific changes include enhanced Tegra Note stylus experience, including support for Ned Flanders (Left handed users Ed.) and improvements in overall response. Nvidia also added a DirectStylus help option under device settings menu, a stylus removal and insert notification on the notification bar, and given users the ability to capture the notification bar with full-screen capture.

The widely advertised Chimera camera computational technology is finally there. It is not that impressive given the fact it took Nvidia almost a year from the CES 2013 January 7th demonstration to December 26th to ship the software technology. Chimera enables cool always-on high-dynamic range (AOHDR) support providing better images in a challenging lighting. Nvidia also added video stabilization for shake-free video, in addition to tuning and optimizations to improve camera performance under certain lighting conditions. We were looking forward to try this one, as it is a quite unique feature that shipped too late in 2013 to make any difference.

You can finally transfer your apps to an external microSD card without a third-party app and Nvidia promises that the update should be available over the air right now. Go to settings/about tablet/system update/check now to see if you already have it available.

Tegra Note 7 Android 4.3 MR2 update GMS is the official name and this OTA update weights rather hefty 389 MB.

As you can see from user comments on Nvidia’s blog it turns out that US users got the update, but some of the UK Advent Note 7 users are still on hold.

British retailer Currys has slashed the price of the Advent Vega Tegra Note 7 to just £129. This is a hefty £50 price cut, but it gets better.

For a limited time an additional 10-percent discount is available, making the end price just £117, reports CNET UK. This pretty good for a 7-inch tablet powered by one of the fastest SoCs around.

To keep the price low Nvidia had to cut a few corners, so the Note 7 features a 1280x800 screen and just 1GB of RAM. However, at £117 or £129 it is nothing short of a bargain and it is probably the cheapest serious tablet with a stylus.

Gigabyte is joining the likes of EVGA and Zotac in launching a Tegra Note 7 tablet.

The tablet was checked out hands-on by Chinese VR-Zone and there are no surprises, it is a bog standard Tegra Note 7 with Gigabyte branding.

That means it has a 7-inch 1280x800 display, Tegra 4 SoC, 1GB of RAM and a stylus. The price is standard too, 6,990 yuan. However, it is unclear whether Gigabyte plans to market it outside of Asia.

At this point nobody expects Nvidia’s first tablet to be a major commercial success, but Nvidia is certainly laying the groundwork for upcoming models. Five AIBs, including Gigabyte, have already signed up, but some retailers are also joining the fun.

We have heard that first Tegra Note 7 to launch in US sold out quite quickly and that there should be more coming soon. EVGA and Newegg are the winners, as both had an exclusive distribution deal to start with. This is not a surprise as EVGA is Nvidia’s key partner in North America and Newegg already had an exclusive with Nvidia for the Shield console. Newegg obviously did a good job for Nvidia, considering that it won another exclusive.

EVGA’s Tegra Note 7 is Nvidia’s first tablet product and apparently customers liked it. It has an attractive price point and a snappy processor, but it also lacks a few things that would make it perfect, e.g. a high resolution screen. We are quite confident that Logan will find its way into future Tegra Note tablets next year and that Nvidia and EVGA will try to expand their presence in this market.

The exclusive is over, as HP just announced the HP Slate7 Extreme based on Tegra Note 7 design, but currently this tablet is still not available. As HP is selling its own stuff, we expect that at one point it will start selling this tablet as well. There are no indications when will this happen.

We don’t know when EVGA plans to dispatch the second batch of these tablets. There are no indications when they will be back in stock and since Newegg doesn’t accept pre-orders, you can simply wait for it to come back in stock. Once it becomes available again it will be listed here.

Nvidia officially launched the Tegra Note 7 yesterday, but the launch was limited to the US and UK, so the first and so far the only reviews are coming from British and American tech sites. And they are not very encouraging.

The Tegra Note 7 is based on Nvidia’s Tegra 4 T40S application processor and performance is not an issue. Although it has just 1GB of RAM, it also has a relatively low res 1280x800 and plenty of muscle to keep the action smooth. There’s a 5-megapixel camera at the back and a VGA front facing camera at the front.

Reviewers had a few gripes with the front facing camera, which was described as “awful” by PC Mag and “crappy” by CNET. The rear camera, backed by the new Awesome Camera app and a few interesting technologies, got some praise. Anand said it was a lot better than expected, although it still feels like a smartphone camera from yesteryear. He also gave Nvidia kudos for excellent sound quality, although the Note 7 is not the loudest tablet out there.

The 1280x800 7-inch panel is average. It lacks contrast and doesn’t handle blacks as well as many 2013 tablets. However, to be fair most reviewers compared the Tegra Note 7 to much pricier tablets like iPads and Samsung’s Galaxy Tab series tablets. The biggest problem identified by most reviewers is poor build quality. Slashgear describes it as “plasticky” while PC Mag compares it to cheap Chinese tablets and although it shares some design DNA with the old Nexus 7, the choice of materials doesn’t appear to be as good.

However, despite its foibles most reviews ended on a positive note, no pun intended. The stylus got universal praise thanks to low latency – in fact, the reviewers found it to be superior to Samsung’s stylus support, although Samsung still has better stylus apps. Performance is not an issue, as the Tegra Note 7 can easily keep up with $399 and $499 tablets, even beat many of them. In terms of value, the Tegra Note 7 comes in $30 cheaper than the Nexus 7, but it’s much cheaper than Samsung’s stylus tabs.

All in all it seems Nvidia simply cut too many corners to shave off a few bucks and hit the $199 target. As a result the front camera is terrible and build quality is subpar. On the other hand, it does ship with an immensely powerful chip given the price and it has great stylus support, but not that many users need a stylus.

Nvidia’s Tegra Note 7 tablet should hit retail later this week and a few interesting product videos are already online. They were unearthed by Italian tech site Eeevolution.it. There are just a handful of Android tablets with stylus support and Nvidia hopes its DirectStylus tech will help differentiate its tablet from heaps of other $199 tablets on the market.

The Stylus demo video shows off quite a few possibilities, aside from simple note taking. The stylus can also be used with Sketchbook or Photoshop Touch. It can be used to do lasso selections and lasso capture in just about every app. The stylus can easily do thin or thick lines. In addition to creative apps there’s a range of educational apps and productivity apps that work well with a stylus.

The stylus will obviously be the focal point for Nvidia marketers, but Nvidia is also talking up performance. It claims the tablet offers a 50 percent faster browsing experience than tablets at twice the price, which is understandable as it packs a powerful processor with a relatively low-res screen. Then there’s the camera, with tap-to-track automatic tracking, focus and exposure. This seems like a gimmick as very few people actually use their tablets to take photos, but it’s good to know that Nvidia is taking photography seriously, as the same technology can be applied to future Tegra phones.

Of course, Nvidia is also showing off its gaming prowess, claiming the world’s most powerful graphics on a tablet. It’s also possible to use a Bluetooth controller if you are really serious about tablet gaming, but then again if you are Nvidia already has the Shield console. Nvidia also says PureAudio will deliver the “deepest, richest sound and widest frequency range” in a tablet. If you’ve been following Nvidia closely, you’ve already had a chance to see much of the tech shown off in the videos, but this gives as an idea of what the actual product will be like.

The Tegra Note 7 won’t be a massive success with shipments in the millions - the market is already saturated and there are just too many Android tablets out there. But as a playground for Nvidia engineers, as a demonstration of what can be done, the Tegra Note 7 is very impressive indeed.

It remains to be seen whether Nvidia can turn it into a commercial success, this is just the first step. It also makes us wonder how serious Nvidia really is about its tablet push? Tegra 5 is just around the corner and it’s clear that it will power the next Shield and we’re expecting to see new tablets as well. Nvidia clearly put a lot of effort into the Tegra Note 7 and it’s very unlikely that it will be a one-of product.

Nvidia is about to release its quarterly report later today and Wall Street doesn’t appear to be very optimistic. Analysts estimate Nvidia’s EPS will dip to $0.20, down 39 percent year-on-year. Revenues are also expected to fall 12.6 percent to $1.05 billion, down from $1.2 billion a year ago. Although Nvidia has a habit of beating estimates, even if it does it won’t be enough. Revenue has been going up for three quarters and now it will be in the red. The stock price has been virtually flat since June, gaining just one percent since August.

Nvidia is clearly trying to send a message, so let’s take a look at what’s behind its PR onslaught.

In terms of parallel computing, Nvidia’s GRID - Amazon SaaS make sense and Nvidia has a lot to offer in this interesting niche. The announcement is just part of Nvidia’s strategy to offer a range of GPU virtualization services, cloud gaming or Gaming as a Service (GaaS) and of course streaming, Nvidia’s darling tech of 2013. However, the potential long-term benefits of these emerging technologies don’t appear to be impressing too many investors or analysts. We on the other hand believe Nvidia’s strategy is sound, although it will take years to implement, no short term gains here.

The Currys and PC World deal is indicative of another trend, which is a bit easier to grasp. As we reported months ago, Nvidia’s Tegra business is in trouble. Tegra 4 was late, it lacked LTE and as a result it didn’t gain many design wins. Nvidia expects Tegra revenue to decline $200 to $300 million this year from about $750 million last year.

The decision to launch the Tegra Note 7 and Shield console was viewed with suspicion by many in the industry. Skeptics said the products were basically designed to get the Tegra 4 into more products, but as more details surfaced it became obvious that Nvidia is planning to support some innovative features like Gamestream in its Tegra 4 gear. The company has never released any Shield shipment figures and the Tegra Note 7 is expected to go on sale next week. The tablet was supposed to be sold through Nvidia’s network of AIB partners, but the UK deal may point to a new approach – Nvidia could let retail chains sell the tablet under their own brand, and possibly the same could apply to future products, including phones. Investors should like the idea – AIBs could go after their regular clientele, i.e. enthusiasts, while retailers could target the general public.

We will not go into plenty of technical details and talk about the upcoming LTE-enabled Tegra 4i application processor, other than to say that the first products based on the new chip should appear in early 2014 – the chip could be disruptive, as LTE support is lacking in mid-range offerings. Nvidia could go head to head with Mediatek and to some extent Qualcomm with the T4i and the chip should enjoy a relative lead in this market segment until the first A12-based products start shipping later in 2014.

We left the core GPU business for last, not because we are leaving the best for last, but because that appears to be what Nvidia has been doing the last couple of years. AMD’s introduction of R7 and R9 R200-series was disruptive to say the least. AMD went a lot cheaper than many observers expected and it forced Nvidia into two rounds of price cuts – yet another one is looming. AMD’s pricing will undoubtedly erode Nvidia’s margins in the mid-range and especially in the high-end. This is something we have covered extensively over the last month or so.

Nvidia’s high-margin professional graphics business is doing just fine and as always it’s a cash cow. AMD thinks it could do more in the professional space and in terms of hardware it could – the new Hawaii-based R9 290-series cards have a lot of potential. However, the professional market is not as dynamic as the consumer GPU space and AMD still has a long way to go, namely on the software front. We don’t think Nvidia’s cash cow is in much trouble.

We shouldn't expect much from Nvidia over the next quarter, but things should start to pick up by February. The company will introduce the Tegra 5 and Tegra 4i in early 2014 and with its Kepler GPU, Tegra 5 is already looking a lot more competitive than its predecessor - it has a lot of potential and it could gain a lot more design wins than the Tegra 4. Later in the year the company will release its next generation Maxwell GPU architecture. Until these new products go online, Nvidia's revenues and margins will remain unimpressive. It's looking like a cold, long winter for Nvidia, but once it emerges from hibernation things should get very interesting indeed.

When Nvidia announced its first tablet, the Tegra Note 7, it said it would be sold through its AIB partners, so for example if you wanted one you could get one from Zotac in Belgium, or an EVGA branded one in Kansas.

EVGA and PCY were supposed to handle the North American market, Zotac and Oysters were supposed to take care of Europe and Russia, Colorful, Gigabyte, Shenzen Homecare Technology and Zotac were the partners of choice in the Asia Pacific region, while Xolo would sell the tablet in India.

There was no mention of letting retailers sell the tablet under their own brand, although we speculated this was a possibility.

Currys and PC World have now joined the club. They will sell the tablet in Britain under their own brand, as the Advent Vega Tegra Note 7. It will be available in stores and online from 15 November, preorders will be available tomorrow.

The price stands at £179, as expected. It makes us wonder whether we’ll see more deals with other big brand retailers in Europe and in other markets.